Friday, March 02, 2012

As most folks know, his career flamed out not long after he severely injured his shoulder in an offseason fight. Since then he’s meandered through life, worked odd jobs and has occasionally popped up in the news due to various legal troubles.

Now he has a far bigger set of legal troubles than he has ever faced. This, via Deadspin, from the JD News in Jacksonville, North Carolina:

Taylor is charged with two counts each of trafficking in cocaine by possession, trafficking in cocaine by sell, trafficking in cocaine by deliver, trafficking in cocaine by manufacture, trafficking in cocaine by transport, and felony maintaining a vehicle.

He is also charged with one count each of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine and sell and deliver cocaine.

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Kinda makes you wonder if he'd have flamed out due to off-field issues even if he hadn't wrecked his shoulder.

It could be he didn't have a college education, didn't know how to handle his finances, and had difficulty dealing with being so highly touted one moment, and unemployed the next. Its not like his skills easily transferred to the general workplace.

Or maybe he would have hung out with Daryl Strawberry too much. Who knows.

Taylor is charged with two counts each of trafficking in cocaine by possession, trafficking in cocaine by sell, trafficking in cocaine by deliver, trafficking in cocaine by manufacture, trafficking in cocaine by transport, and felony maintaining a vehicle.

He is also charged with one count each of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine and sell and deliver cocaine.

But it was his texting while making deliveries that really brought down the law.

It applies to dwellings, cars, boats, etc. and it is illegal to "maintain" for prohibited purposes (e.g. drug dealing). According to this, felony maintaining was charged in NC 14,000 in 2010 alone. Probably all part of property seizure.

Kinda makes you wonder if he'd have flamed out due to off-field issues even if he hadn't wrecked his shoulder.

He might very well have. The shoulder injury was originally suffered as a result of a confrontation following a bar fight between Taylor's brother and another man. The story handed out at the time was that Taylor was an innocent bystander who was hurt defending his brother, but the reality is that Taylor and his brother went to the man's home after the original fight and confronted him there.

The story handed out at the time was that Taylor was an innocent bystander who was hurt defending his brother, but the reality is that Taylor and his brother went to the man's home after the original fight and confronted him there.

it was actually he and his cousin who went to the other mans trailer, but your point remains--he wasn't an innocent bystander. After the injury he tried to come back and pitch. His 1996 line for Greensboro has to be among the worst I've ever seen:

So, where is Momma Taylor now? She raised a heck of a ruckus saying how the Yankees were short-changing her precious boy because he was black while that lily-white Von Poppen was getting all that cash!
"Take the money and run!" is about right.
Steinbrenner should never have caved in to what amounts to racist blackmail. Besides, Taylor had had serious issues in high school aside from just poor grades. It was like a walking warning flag.
In many cases of a down-trodden athlete, sympathy will flow, but not here.

Have we already forgotten Jason Neighborgall?
3 seasons, 1-4 17.22 (51 g, 8 gs) 42.1 ip, 40 h, 128 bb, 48 so, 59 wp (whip 3.969). ERAs by season: 11.12, 20.77, 31.05. He was so bad, he broke PECOTA after his second year - then got worse.
(He was considered a first round talent in HS but signability issues led to his playing college ball. Control completely abandoned him in college, was still a third round pick (500k bonus) despite a 7.13 ERA as he threw in the mid to upper 90s with an outstanding curve (AJ Hinch said he had two 80 pitches).

Not as exciting, but another injury guy who ended his career with Greensboro^ was Sam Militello. Last 3 years of his career (94-96): 0-6 12.39 in 11 starts, 20.1 ip, 12 h, 54 w, 25 k, 18 wp. Before his injuries (90-92), he was really effective, going 34-8 1.76 and named his league's top pitcher all three seasons (and posting a 3.45 ERA in 9 starts with the Yanks).

^ Taylor's last three years were with Greensboro... if you don't count a 2.2 inning comeback attempt with Columbus in 2000.

I don't count Salkeld or Militello as failures. I reserve that word for the guys who never had any success rather than guys who seemed to be on the path for success and then got hurt. YMMV. And yeah I see the other side. Having paid out a huge bonus (or put your life savings in their rookie cards) their career would have to qualify as a major disappointment.

On the topic of wild pitchers... I was always a fan of Nick Neugebauer. Career in the minors: 359+ IP, 254 H, 287 BB, 492 K's. It's like a latter-day Steve Dalkowski. And Neugebauer made it to the majors, albeit briefly.

So, where is Momma Taylor now? She raised a heck of a ruckus saying how the Yankees were short-changing her precious boy because he was black while that lily-white Von Poppen was getting all that cash!

Wow, I haven't exactly followed Taylor's career closely, but I've been aware of him since he got drafted. I could have sworn he was white...to the point where I have a photo of a white dude in my mind when I think of him. I wonder who that guy is?

Wow, I haven't exactly followed Taylor's career closely, but I've been aware of him since he got drafted. I could have sworn he was white...to the point where I have a photo of a white dude in my mind when I think of him. I wonder who that guy is?